That shield is much larger than I would expect. It looks like it would be a challenge to maneuver with it given how tall it is.
Might just be to get out of arrow distance and into stabbing distance.
Reading your comment I was actually wondering if they had bows and arrows in this age already… Luckily I thought of looking at the picture once more before googling it.
Yeah, same. the article has another picture of Siberian uncle with it strapped to his back and enemy arrows sticking out while he’s shooting, and it says:
The researchers also reconstructed the large shield. It was originally made from plates of animal bone, probably from a type of elk called an Altai wapiti (Cervus canadensis sibiricus), that seem to have been glued onto a leather base.
A couple other thoughts:
- at night, if you lean it up against a tree I bet you have half-decent rain protection.
- in battle I wonder if you could plant them in the ground for protective cover.
- in emergency, maybe you could use it as a sled to drag things behind you?
It strikes a hell of resemblance to 18th century Chukchi warriors’ armor.
First the dire wolf and now this. That escalated quickly.
